The Longhorns lost Malcom Brown to the NFL and Cedric Reed but the defensive line anchored by defensive tackles senior Desmond Jackson and junior Hassan Ridgeway the line will be the team's strongest position.

Jackson will return to the field for the first time since going down with a season ending foot injury against UCLA in 2014. Jackson, whose nickname is "Tank," will be a fifth-year senior in 2015. He's played in 41 games and has started 16 games. In 2013, Jackson started all 13 games and recorded 37 total tackles, three and half tackles for loss and two sacks.

The Longhorns will need Jackson to make a strong return to compliment Ridgeway. If he doesn't spring back, sophomore Poona Ford could jump over the senior on the depth chart.

Ridgeway is the cog on the defensive line. In 2014, he recorded 46 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Texas needs Ridgeway to provide a strong replacement for Brown. His expected backup is junior Paul Boyette.

Junior Bryce Cottrell had a strong spring game and appears to have jumped over senior Shiro Davis. Cottrell amassed five tackles and a sack in the orange and white game. But Davis has had a stronger presence as a Longhorn. The senior had 22 total tackles, four tackles for loss and three and half sacks in 2014. He could be in a situation where he splits time with Cottrell.

On the opposite side of the line, sophomore Nasshon Hughes is expected to start as the fox end. Hughes had a solid freshman year as he recorded 30 total tackles and three and half tackles for loss. He'll be backed up by junior Caleb Bluiett. Bluiett has played well and has been expected to be a breakout player but has yet to take the next step.

The fox end position provides an interesting situation as it could be a spot where highly-touted freshman linebacker Malik Jefferson could spend some time playing at.

The Longhorns have solid depth behind their two deep except at nose tackle where the loss of freshman signee Du'Vonta Lampkin will be noticed. JUCO junior Quincey Vassar could be a player that surprises but he's third at the strong end position. Junior Alex Norman and redshirt freshman Jake McMillon will be provided adequate depth at defensive tackle. Texas only has one additional nose tackle, redshirt freshman Chris Nelson, to create a three deep. After a redshirt year, Derick Roberson could be a guy to watch at the fox end. Incoming freshman Charles Omenihu could benefit from a redshirt year with three guys ahead of him.

Future at the position:

If Ridgeway doesn't leave for the NFL draft, Texas will only lose one senior after 2015. In 2016, the Longhorns could have seven seniors on the line.

Provided that the team has a strong corps of upperclassmen next year, it could remain the strongest position in 2016.

Texas will have three key underclassmen next year - Nelson, Roberson and Omenihu. Nelson and Roberson will be redshirt sophomores and Omenihu will likely be a redshirt freshman in 2016.

It is imperative that the Longhorns recruit defensive tackles hard in the 2016 class. After losing its lone defensive tackle signee in the 2015 class, Lampkin, the depth at tackle is concerning.

Texas had already signed a defensive tackle in Gerald Wilbon from Louisiana but he's expected to play on the opposite side of the ball as an offensive guard. The Longhorns will have to wait to see who they land on the defensive line as they are fighting for many highly-ranked recruits that are expected to make decisions late in the recruiting process.